Smell is the strongest sense for evoking memories. Christmas is traditionally a sensory explosion with bewitching aromas synonymous with the season, for example cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, peppermint, vanilla, orange and cloves. Just a quick whiff of a certain scent is able to evoke memories of childhood and Christmasses past, and instantly transport us to another time and place. One things is for certain, you can’t help but get into the holiday spirit once your olfactory sense has been tickled.
With essential aroma oils you can create a wonderfully festive and uplifting ambiance, and make new happy memories which will be instantly recalled in years to come when the same scent is encountered. Plus diffusing essential oils positively influences our mood and emotions. Take into account that, although a joyous occasion, Christmas can also be a very stressful time as we strive to make everything perfect, and the sense of nostalgia can also instigate depression as past Christmasses are remembered and missing loved ones or changes in circumstances mourned. Essential oils can effectively help to ward off depression and stress, and induce relaxation, in addition to elevating the mood. Furthermore, essential oils are known for their antiviral and antibacterial properties and can further help to protect our health by purifying the air of harmful pathogens.
So lets look at the further benefits of diffusing some of the popular seasonal essential oils:
Cinnamon
The use of cinnamon in major feasts has its roots back in Medieval times as it was the predominant spice used for preservation purposes. Nowadays it is an essential Christmas spice, used in cookies, Christmas cake, mince pies and hot drinks (coffee, tea, milk, mulled wine).
Benefits: Diminishes feelings of depression, sadness, irritability, exhaustion and faintness; Uplifts the mood, and evokes a sense of calmness and wellbeing; Has a positive effect on cognitive function, improving concentration, attention span and information retention and reducing risk of memory loss; Stimulates the immune system and enhances blood circulation; Clears the airways and reduces symptoms of cold and flu; Reduces the severity and frequency of headaches; A natural aphrodisiac, strengthens libido and reduces age-induced sexual dysfunction; Facilitates digestion and relieves digestive discomforts such as flatulence.
Peppermint
The energising scent of Christmas, peppermint’s association with Christmas season is believed to have began in 1670 when peppermint sweets were handed out to children in the live nativity scene to keep them quiet during the service. Peppermint reminds us of candy canes, peppermint bark, and after dinner chocolate mints. Who can resist a peppermint hot chocolate?
Benefits: Eliminates stress, anxiety, fatigue, tiredness, irritability and bad mood. It relaxes the nervous system, whilst simultaneously invigorating, energising and lifting the mood; Stimulates the brain, dispels mental fatigue, increases cognitive functioning; Escalates focus, concentration and motivation and enhances memory retention. Proven to boost mental accuracy, and enhance clear thinking; Increases pain thresholds; Shown to improve athletic performance and ability; Alleviates headaches and migraines and suppresses feeling of nausea; Benefits respiratory health. Reduces swollen membranes, opens the airways, and helps to break down mucus and clear blocked sinuses, promoting easier breathing; Relaxes muscles in the digestive system, facilitates digestion, improves digestive ailments and reduces cramping; A natural repellent for cockroaches, bed bugs, ants, mosquitoes and spiders. Helps suppress the appetite and stimulates the feeling of being full.
Vanilla
The warming scent of home, who isn’t instantly transported to their childhood kitchen making, decorating or even eating Christmas sugar cookies when encountering the wonderful aroma of vanilla?
Benefits: Has a sedative effect on the body, quietening the nervous system and lowering blood pressure. Induces tranquillity whilst uplifting the mood. Diminishes hyperactivity and restlessness. Relieves stress and anxiety, and reduces startle reflexes; Relieves tension to help promote a better night’s sleep, assisting with falling asleep easier and for longer. Affects the respiratory system in the brain, helping you to breathe easier whilst sleeping, and is a helpful aid for sleep apnea; Stimulates estrogen production, helping to regulate menstruation, and relieving symptoms of PMS such as cramps, bloating and fatigue, and mood swings; An aphrodisiac, known to enhance sexual arousal. Stimulates estrogen and testosterone hormones, and can help diminish erectile dysfunction, impotence, loss of libido and frigidity; Boosts the immune system. Soothes inflammation in the body’s respiratory, circulatory, digestive, nervous, and excretory systems. Can help to reduce allergies, colds, flu, and other respiratory issues. Reduces fever; Alleviates the feeling of nausea;
Frankincense
A significant scent of Christmas, it has symbolic association with the birth of Jesus and the gifts of the Three Wise Men (Magi), and is also a principal aroma in places of worship.
Benefits: Restores emotional balance to help overcome stress and despair; Relaxes the mind and soothes tension, allaying sleep disorders prompted by anxiety, and relieving tension headaches; Boosts the immune system; Reduces respiratory ailments, helping to soothe inflammation, reduce excess mucus and clear the airways.
Myrrh
Myrrh goes hand in hand with Frankincense and is one of the predominant scents of the season for the same reasons.
Benefits: Stabilises emotions, lifts a negative mood, alleviates tenseness; Promotes relaxation and general wellbeing; Benefits respiratory health by relieving the symptoms of respiratory ailment. Relieves congestion and clears diminishes mucus in the respiratory tract.
Clove
A rich Christmas scent, clove is an essential ingredient of mulled wine, and is traditionally used for garnishing the edges of Christmas ham or gammon, as well as being the decoration on orange pomander balls.
Benefits: Manages anxiety, mental stress and nervous energy; Uplifting and invigorating; Renews confidence; Enhances concentration; A strong aphrodisiac. Relieves potency and frigidity; Boosts the immune system to fight off viruses including the common cold, flu and pneumonia; Enhances heart health. Dilates major arteries in the body while also lowering blood pressure.
Sweet Orange
Orange plays a major part in Christmas, from candied peel used in a variety of Christmas goodies and jelly sweets representing orange segments, to its use as a pomander for decoration. Plus not to forget that an orange is traditionally one of the gifts left in Christmas stockings to symbolise the gold coins originally left in the stockings by the original St. Nickolas.
Benefits: Helps to reduce pulse rate. Banishes depression, anxiety, anger, frustration, stress, sadness and negative moods, replacing them with peace and harmony; Boosts the mood, promotes mental clarity and motivation. Enhances cognitive function, making it easier to recall memories, which may be especially beneficial for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease; Diminishes mental and physical fatigue. Can be used as a mood and energy booster in the morning, a relaxant in the evening, and to improve cognitive function or diminish depression, stress or anxiety whenever needed; Induces sleep and enhances sleep quality whilst expediting the detoxification process of the body and helping to balance hormones; Has expectorant properties to prevent nasal and respiratory congestion, combats a fever, relieves dizziness and fatigue, allays the pain and pressure of a sinus headache, and eliminates harmful bacteria. Alleviates a spasmodic cough; Relieves allergy symptoms such as itchiness, headache, watery eyes and sinus congestion, caused by inflammation of the nasal passages, which are irritated by small particles such as dust, pollen, mould spores, etc.; Reduces both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, a major contributor towards heart disease; Antinociceptive properties effectively reduce fracture pain.
Christmas Essential Oil Blends:
Looking for some inspiration? Try these blends in your diffuser or oil burner to give your home a festive air and inspire your own future memories, or create your own unique blends with aromas that hold special meaning to you:
Wake Up It’s Christmas!: 3 drops peppermint, 2 drops orange
Gifts of the Magi: 2 drops frankincense, 2 drops myrrh, 2 drops sweet orange
Holiday Joy: 2 drops frankincense; 2 drops sweet orange; 2 drops peppermint
Feeling Festive: 3 drops sweet orange; 2 drops clove; 2 drops rosemary
Warm & Cozy: 3 drops cinnamon, 2 drops sweet orange, 1 drop clove
Christmas Blessings: 2 drops sweet orange, 2 drops sandalwood, 1 drop frankincense, 1 drop myrrh
Cozy Christmas: 2 drops sweet orange, 2 drops cinnamon, 1 drop sandalwood, 1 drop clove
Spiced Vanilla: 4 drops vanilla, 2 drops orange, 2 drops cinnamon
Comfort & Joy: 3 drops orange, 2 drops ylang, ylang, 2 drops sandalwood
Peppermint Surprise: 5 drops peppermint, 2 drops ylang ylang
Immune Booster: 1 drop rosemary, 1 drop clove, 1 drop eucalyptus, 1 drop cinnamon, 1 drop sweet orange.
Away from the Christmas blends, try this blend when you need to stop for a while (especially during the preparations) to refocus and calm down, or simply need a moment for private reflection:
Press Pause: 2 drops frankincense, 1 drop of rosemary, 1 drop of peppermint, 1 drop of lemon.
Merry Christmas. Here’s to beautiful aromas and making wonderful holiday memories.
